Out of the closet
by Ana Hazel
Summary: The Solo twins make a disturbing discovery in a closet that was once used by Mara Jade. Does she have anything to do with it or is it just coincidence? / AU
1. Part I

**Title:** Out of the closet  
**Timeframe:** 14 ABY  
**Characters:** Luke Skywalker, Mara Jade, Jaina, Jacen, Tionne, ect.

**Genre:** Mystery, Romance ?

**Summary:** The Solo twins make a disturbing discovery in a closet that was once used by Mara Jade. Does she have anything to do with it or is it just coincidence.

**Disclamer:** Star Wars belongs to Lucas Film and Lucas Film belongs to Disney which means that Leia is now a Disney Princess.

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**Author's notes:** This is my entry for the Skywalker-Jade Revival Society Postsecret Challenge.

This is my assigned secret – _"Back in the day I used to make Voodoo heads of my ex-lovers."_

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**~ Part I ~**

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It was a hot and humid evening in that part of the jungle moon of Yavin 4, much like the one before that and, supposedly, the one after that, and Jedi Master Luke Skywalker was doing what he usually did at this time of the day - he was meditating in his private chambers. This was usually a relaxing moment for the Jedi Master, a moment when he sought to center himself and ponder on the events of the day, hopefully apprehending some valuable lesson the Force saw fit to teach him.

The Jedi Master was almost reaching that state of peaceful bliss that accompanied a full immersion in the flow of the Force when something triggered his senses. It took him a split seconds to realize it wasn't a danger lurking nearby, but instead his 5-year-old nephew Jacen who was running and calling his name.

"UNCLE LUKE! UNCLE LUKE!"

"Yes, Jacen?" He got up from his resting place and opened the door just in time for the little boy to run in. His niece and nephew were spending a couple of weeks at the Academy while their parents were off in a diplomatic mission for the New Republic and their younger brother stayed with their mother's right hand person. It was great to have the kids around, but sometimes Luke did have to sacrifice his few moments of peace.

"Uncle Luke - look what I found." The young boy pushed his closed fist forward and almost against his uncle's chest. What was hanging from it made Luke gasp. It looked like a human head bearing adult features, but it was shriveled and shrunk to a third of its normal size. It had a handful of semi-long gray hair that was entangled around Jacen's closed fingers and displayed a horrified expression. This did not look like something a little boy should be running around with.

Taking the head from the boy's hand, Luke asked: "Jacen, where did you find this?" And then, as sudden realization hit him, "where's your sister?"

"She's guarding the other heads."

Of course, where else would a half-Solo-half-Skywalker offspring be?

"Other... Where?" The Jedi Master insisted, already turning towards the exit in hopes of retracing the boy's steps.

Noticing his uncle's urgency, the little boy quickly took hold of his hand to lead him to the place.

While they crossed the Academy's building in the quickest step possible, Luke could not quiet his mind. Jacen's discovery was terribly disturbing. Whatever this head was, it was not of the light. It was a gruesome thing and clearly the fabrication of a twisted being. Could this be another of Exar Kun's 'souvenirs' or had it been made by someone else? And to make matters worse, there were more of them and they were being guarded by his niece. Jaina was being exposed to them at that very moment. What if a dark spirit took over the little girl. Luke didn't dare to think of the implications. How would he explain them to his sister and brother-in-law?

_'Calm down,'_ he told himself. _'Panicking will not help._' Still his mind kept recalling the images of the terrible things his student Kyp had done while under Kun's influence a few years earlier. What a disaster that had been.

Luke was so absorbed by his storming thoughts that he only realized his nephew had led him back to the main Academy building when his feet hit the hard rock floor by the entrance.

_'There are weird shrunken heads __**inside**__ my Academy?' _The situation was not improving. _'Can there be some underground passageways I have not found yet?'_

But the boy did not take Luke to the lower levels, or to the upper levels for that matter. Jacen, led his uncle right to what used to be the pilot quarter back in the day the Alliance used Yavin 4 for a base.

When they entered the furthest corridor, Jacen released Luke's hand and ran through a door on the right. Luke followed the boy in and immediately saw his niece, Jaina, sitting on one of the cots. Next to her, against the wall, was an open closet, previously used to store the pilots' personal belongings, and inside the closet was an open panel, clearly intended to conceal a secret compartment.

For some reason, Luke wasn't surprised his niece and nephew found it. They were perfectly capable of this and much more.

Stepping closer to the closet, Luke could clearly see, inside the secret compartment, a wooden box. It was about the size of the cooling box he took when he went camping, only this one was not half-full of foodstuffs and cold drinks. It was half-full of heads and they were all very similar to the one he was still holding in his hand.

"Jaina, get away from there." He told the little girl, letting go of the head and leading her to the quarter's entrance. "Jacen, you come here too."

Once he had both twins within arm's reach, Luke kneeled down in front of them and, placing each hand on the children's faces, he scanned them deeply with the Force. There was nothing wrong with them, definitely nothing dark looming in the back of their young minds waiting to take control. There was nothing but innocence and a great dose of mischief and neither was for children.

Satisfied that the children seemed safe, Luke told them to go play somewhere else. When they were gone, he picked up his comlink and called the one person he could think about that could help him figure out this box full of heads – his Jedi historian and fellow teacher, Tionne.

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~.~.~.~.~.~

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"They are Voodoo heads," Tionne enlightened the Jedi Master. She was the most qualified person he had ever met in terms of ancient customs and legends. "I've read references to only two forms of Voodoo in my researches, but I am not familiar with the differences, customs or even purposes, for that matter. There's the one used by Sayormi people on Kashyyyk, but they usually target Wookiees; and there's the form used by the Witches of Dathomir."

"And since these appear to be human heads," Luke concluded, "they probably came from them."

"That would be my conclusion also."

"But what are they doing here?"

"I don't know. Obviously, someone left them behind. Whether to get rid of them or just to conceal them from other, there's no way of knowing."

"They don't seem to have been there for very long." Luke observed, inspecting the box.

"No they don't," the Jedi Historian agreed. "I'll take them out of here and to my study and see what else I can find out."

"You do that, but be careful."

After Tionne had walked out with the box, Luke walked around the room and between the four cots it contained. He hadn't been in there for a while and this room had not been used for even longer. His students usually preferred the rooms in the upper levels because they were larger and had more light. In fact, no one had used the billets in ground floor since his first class had graduated. If he recalled correctly only two students of that class had taken up lodge in this part of the Academy – Corran Horn, who had occupied the first billet on the left side, and Mara Jade... who had taken this very room. In fact, he believed, she had taken closet the bod had been found in.

Maybe it was time to comm Mara Jade and ask her to come over. Perhaps she could shed some light in this conundrum.

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TBC...


	2. Part II

**~ Part II ~**

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Mara Jade had to admit she was surprised to hear from Luke Skywalker. It had been awhile since they had last spoken and it hadn't been the friendliest of encounters. It had been just after Luke's former girlfriend, Callista, had left him and he had begun a frantic search for her all over the place. Mara had run into him on Chandrilla and had blatantly told him that he was wasting his time and making a fool of himself at the same time. The Jedi Master had not taken her criticism well and they had parted in bitter terms.

That was until now. Now, Skywalker had purposely contacted Mara's employer asking for a supply delivery and specifically requesting that she'd be the deliverer. Mara wasn't sure if she should be flattered or insulted. It would have been easier, and more easily understandable, if Skywalker were to ask for someone else, but he had asked for her in particular so he wanted _her_ but, if he wanted _her_, why not ask her directly. Did this mean he was no longer mad or was he still mad but really needed to talk to her? And if he really needed to talk to her, why go through Karrde? This was very confusing.

_'Oh, well... I guess I'll find out in four days.' _She thought as she plotted the next jump through hyperspace, all the while pretending that she increase in her heart beats was a product of the puzzlement she felt and not of the prospect of seeing Skywalker again.

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~.~.~.~.~.~

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Two days had passed from the time the Solo twins had made the macabre discovery in Mara Jade's old quarters and everyday life progressed normally in the Academy. Luke kept a close watch, even closer than usual, on all his students and most especially on his niece and nephew, but no one was exhibiting any sort of strange behavior. It was true that the twins kept disappearing on him, but this _was_ their normal state. Luke would be worried if they kept quiet and behaved.

In the meantime, he counted down to Mara's arrival. He knew where she was and that she would still have to pick up his orders and that meant she was due to arrive in another two days. That made Luke nervous. He wasn't even sure if it had been a good idea to contact Karrde and ask for a delivery. It was such a lame excuse, now that he thought about it, but he really wanted to talk to Mara about the heads (and also other things, but mostly the heads) and he couldn't take the chance that she would refuse.

The last time they had met, they argued and he had said some things he regretted. Mara had just tried to shake him out of the groove he was in and he had accused her of being a bitter woman with no idea of what love was all about. That had to have stung her because she had turned away and never looked back. They hadn't spoken since and Luke had never gotten to apologize.

Now he would apologize... and then he would ask her about the creepy heads. He could tell at that moment that this conversation would not make for a better meeting. _'Damn it!'_

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~.~.~.~.~.~

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Later that day, Tionne called Luke to her study to explain her findings.

"Apparently there is a lot more to Voodoo than I thought," the Historian started and invited him to take a seat. She started displaying several holos of assorted grueling objects, most of them gross representations of beings, others, tools obviously used for torture.

"Even though the different forms of Voodoo possess different customs," Tionne continued, "their base is always the same – to dispose of or control one's enemy. The rituals usually have individual targets but some, depending on the strength of the user, do target groups."

Tionne's explanation had barely started and Luke was already preoccupied. What could Mara possibly have to do with this? Was it something the Emperor had taught her?

As he pondered the implications, Tionne continued her display. For a while, Luke actually tuned her out. His attention was sparkled, however, when she picked up of one of the heads from the box.

"These heads in particular are meant to be trophies."

"How so?"

"Once the priest or priestess vanquishes an opponent, he or she will cut off his head and transform it into this. In some instances the Dark Side of the Force is used."

Luke's head snapped up when his colleague mentioned the Dark Side. "Did you detect any lingering traces of the dark techniques?"

"No," Tionne told him in her most reassuring tone. "If any of them were used to make these heads, they are long gone. The heads are completely inert."

_'Thank the Force for small favors.'_ Luke released the breath he was holding. "And you still think this could be a Dathomiri Witch type of Voodoo?" Luke inquired. He had had some experience with the Witches, but nothing like this.

"I am positive. I showed them to Kirana Ti and she confirmed it."

"Oh yes, of course." Luke had almost forgotten that one of his first students was from Dathomir. "Did she tell you more?"

"She couldn't give much more information because her tribe did not employ such techniques. They are used by the Nightsisters. They are known to do this sort of thing once they are done with their males."

"So these are the heads of some Nightsister's former lovers?" Luke could hardly believe it. The more he found out about this the more confounded he became. "What are they doing here? We never had Nightsisters in the Academy."

"I don't think so, no." Tionne agreed. "I guess our best bet is to ask Mara about them. They were in her closet."

"Do you really think Mara has anything to do with them?" He had to ask.

"I don't know. I mean, how much do we really know about her anyway?"

Luke didn't answer. In truth, Luke knew very little about Mara's past and only what was common knowledge – that she had been trained by the Emperor to be his personal assassin, but she had never been clear about the details of her training and how dark it had really been, not to mention no one knew anything at all about her past before the Emperor. She could very well be a Nighsister from Dathomir. She was certainly beautiful and deadly enough, and males were always fawning over her. Even Lando... especially Lando. Come to think of it, Luke hadn't heard anything from Lando for a while. What if Mara was a Dathomiri Witch that took pleasure in turning her former lovers into Voodoo heads? Could she have done to Lando already?

Luke wished he could dismiss this train of thought for the ridicule it seemed to be. He really wished it. He would know soon enough.

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TBC...


	3. Part III

**~ Part III ~**

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It was after dinner and Luke was both watching his niece and nephew play and cleaning up after them when his central comm system beeped. It was the Academy's night guard informing him that a shuttle of supplies was about to land in the main hangar. He quickly informed the children he had to go out for a minute and told them to behave themselves.

"We will, Uncle Luke!" Jacen responded for both just as Luke walked out the door. Should he have stayed a second longer he would have noticed the twinkle of mischief in the kids' eyes - they were Solos after all.

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~.*.~

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Luke got to the hangar just in time to watch the shuttle touch the ground. He didn't have to wonder if it was really Mara at the commands because he could clearly feel her bright presence in the Force growing nearer.

"Hello Mara," Luke greeted eagerly just before the shuttle's ramp hit the floor. Noticing the pitch in his own voice, the Jedi immediately started a quieting exercise and hoped the woman approaching him didn't notice it or his nervousness.

"Skywalker." Mara nodded and stepped forward, diminishing the distance between them. "What's wrong?"

_'So much for disguising it.'_ He really should know better that to try to fool Mara Jade. She knew him way too well.

As a way to dissipate his growing nervousness, Luke drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly. The action gave him a little extra time but it also made Mara frown.

"I need to talk to you about something."

"Okay," Mara replied in a tense and suspicious manner. "What about the supplies?"

"I'll have the students unload." Luke sais and signaled the night guard who immediately picked up the comm in order so call come help. "Please, come with me."

As the Jedi Master led the Master Trader towards Tionne's office, where the box of heads still was, he took the opportunity to address the other matter. Luke had already pondered to wait until after they had discussed the heads, but that subject would most likely not leave Mara in a _hearing _mood and he really needed to get some things off his chest.

"First of all," he started hesitantly, "I'd like to apologize for my behavior the last time we met. I was completely out of line."

"Yes. Yes, you were," she stated without hesitation. Luke didn't really expect another reaction.

"And I am really, really sorry." He insisted, hoping to hear her say she forgave him.

"Okay."

She was obviously not going to make it easy for him. If this encounter had a different purpose, Luke would have insisted, but he knew it was probably a bad idea to push Mara Jade into forgiving him just before he confronted her for something else, so he took her agreement as a cue to drop the subject. He could always come back to it later if the opportunity presented itself.

"Right," he added a bit sheepishly as they entered Tionne's study. She wasn't there, she was probably having her own dinner wit her fiancée and fellow Jedi Kam Solusar, and that was a good think because however the conversation he was about to have with Mara proceeded, it certainly did not require an audience.

"So, what's up?" Mara inquired as she turned to face him.

"A few days ago, the twins... You remember Jacen and Jaina, don't you?" The Jedi Master interrupted himself in an obvious staling attempt that made the woman before him grow impatient.

"Of course I do, I did save them from their first kidnapping attempt."

"Oh, yeah." Luke murmured with embarrassment. Mara had already done so much for his family, and for him, that now he felt really bad about confronting her.

"So - spit it out!" The fiery Imperial finally pushed.

"A few days ago, the twins found these, "Luke finally stated and opened the box that was sitting on the large wooden desk.

Reaching in, Mara pulled out a head, inspected it for a couple of seconds before making an obviously sarcastic remark: "Cute toys. What do they have to do with me?"

Luke was a bit relieved to notice that there wasn't any sort of recognition in Mara's stance, but still he said: "I thought they might be yours."

"Why would you think that?" She asked, still turning the head in her hand. "Ugly."

"They were in your closet... I mean, in the closet you used when you attended the Academy. Well, actually they were in a secret compartment in the back of the closet."

"They are not mine. I didn't even know there was a secret compartment in there. Why are you smirking?"

"Nothing, I just thought nothing got passed you," Luke smirk opened into a smile. This was going much better than he thought.

"I wasn't here long enough to poke around, Skywalker." Mara remarked lightly, also responding to his smile with one of her own.

"Yeah." This was going really well, why was he so nervous anyway? "You should have stayed longer."

"Probably right," she admitted, to his surprise. "Come, show me where they were."

While they walked to Mara's old billets, they fell into a friendly conversation about the training she had gone through at the Academy and the possibility of resuming it. Luke was pleased when Mara finally admitted that she had not set that plan aside, she just needed proper incentive and time. When they arrived, Luke showed Mara the secret compartment.

"Wow. It's big." She remarked, looking in. "It would have come in handy."

"Handy for what?" Luke inquired curiously.

"Gee, I don't now. To hide Kyp's body for stealing my ship?"

The suggestion made Luke laugh. He knew she was teasing him and he was confortable with it.

"So, I guess the heads could have been there all along, if you didn't even realize the compartment was there."

"Yeah. But... why are you so concerned about them anyway?" She asked.

Without thinking, Luke told her: "They're Voodoo heads, made using the Dark Side." And once the words were out, there was no taking them back.

"WHAT?! YOU THOUGHT THE CREEPY DARK SIDE VOODOO HEADS WERE MINE?"

"No... Wait... Mara... Wait..."

"DID YOU THINK I MADE THEM? IS THAT WHAT YOU THINK OF ME?"

Now, he'd done it.

"You were the only person I could think of that used that closed." Luke tried to justify himself and make the furious woman before him see the logic of his reasoning.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE THIS!"

"Calm down Mara, please. I'm sorry." He continued, sending her calming waves though the Force. They didn't really appease her, but at least she lowered her voice although that didn't make her anger any less intense.

"You thought... How can you think this... What right do you have to think... You don't change, do you, Skywalker?" And as she turned he back on him, she added, "that's it, I'm leaving. Goodbye, Skywalker!"

"NO, WAIT..." he pleaded apologetically, but it was too late. Mara had already reached to palm the door open.

Only, the door did not open. After trying again, she realized it was locked and it wasn't from the inside.

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TBC...


	4. Part IV

**~ Part IV ~**

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"Com' on, Jace. Hurry!" Little Jaina urged her twin who was dragging a large volume down the darkened hallway.

"It's heavy, Jaya!" The little boy complained, but carried on forward. "Did ya lock the door yet?"

"Yes! Com' on before they find out."

"I'm coming, I'm coming," He continued to drag his burden until he reached his sister who was standing by the door at the end of the hallway. From the other side of the door, the twins could now make out the sounds of two adult voices - a woman, who was clearly screaming, and a man who tried to maintain a lower tone but had to shout as well.

As she watched her brother set his pack against the door, the little girl asked him: "Are you sure this is going to work?"

"Yes," Jacen assured her and opened the cage to feed a treat to the large lizard inside before closing it again. "Artoo said they bock the Force so, as long as it's here, Uncle Luke and Mara won't be able to unlock the door."

"I meant them, not the lizard. Are you sure they will kiss and make up if we leave them locked in there?"

"It worked for Mom and Dad," the little boy shrugged, "remember Threepio told us how they kissed and made up after being locked together in the _Falcon_."

"But this is not the _Falcon_," Jaina pointed out.

"It's called impo-imper-imperovising, Jaya." Jacen told her, struggling with the long word.

"Uh-hu," the girl nodded." Where's Artoo?"

"He's guarding the hallway." Jacen gestured to the far-end of the corridor.

"Okay, now we wait?"

"Now we wait." The boy agreed, letting his back slide down the wall until he was in a sitting position.

"We're doing the right thing." Jaina grinned as she mimicked her brother and sat down beside him.

Behind them, in the other side of the door, the shouting continued.

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~.*.~

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"SKYWALKER, OPEN THE KRIFFING DOOR!" Mara had had enough of this whole deal, she wanted out and she wanted it fast.

"I'm trying Mara," Luke exclaimed as he fidgeted with the controls. "It's really locked."

"Let me see that." Mara's tone was a little lower now but just as menacing. After a few tries, she realized it was no good. "It's locked!" Then she turned to face the Jedi and let her anger flow right at him. "How the HELL did you DO THAT?"

"I didn't!" Luke stated, defensively. "I didn't do anything."

"Well then, do something NOW."

"Like what?"

"I DON'T KNOW! Use your precious FORCE!" She suggested forcefully, and then waited impatiently as the Jedi Master did so.

"I... can't," he told Mara, not bothering to hide his puzzlement.

"What do you mean, you CAN'T?"

"I can't touch the door with the Force, I can fell you and the walls and everything else, but not the door. It's weird."

Mara didn't even bother to explode this time, she merely reached for her wrist holster... and realized she had left her blaster, and her lightsaber come to think of it, in the shuttle. "Where's _your_ lightsaber?" She inquired after noticing she couldn't spot it on him.

"Blast it! I left it on the counter."

"Are you KIDDING me?" Mara demanded. "How are we gonna get out of here?"

"I'm sorry Mara. Just calm down. I'm sure someone will come soon enough."

"No! NOT soon enough!" She stated and threw herself onto a cot.

Mara was too angry and upset to think straight; she felt almost claustrophobic. All she wanted was to get the hell out of there and as far away from Skywalker as possible. Was that too much to ask? As she lay there, her thoughts raged on. She felt like an idiot, having been once more reeled in by the Jedi Master with smiles and apologies only to have him through her past back at her. How many times had she been in a situation like this where Luke had tricked her into closing the distance between them only to disregard her afterwards? He had given her his father's lightsaber but had neglected to follow through; he had invited her to the Academy and then ignored her in favor of Kyp Durron; she had been there for him countless times, rescuing him from foes only to have him choose another over her; and now this. Mara Jade had had enough!

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Taking a seat in the cot in front of Mara, Luke could clearly sense her brooding feelings. Usually she hid them well, but this time they were so strong that they seeped though her impressive shields. It was obvious she didn't want to talk to him, so for a while he tried to concentrate on figuring out how the door had locked and why he couldn't touch it with the Force. This was a real and troublesome problem and yet he found himself unable to concentrate on it for very long. Mara's dark mood bothered him far more than the door and the Force or lack there of. It broke his heart to see her like that.

"Mara - I'm sorry," he started, inserting every ounce of honesty into his statement.

She didn't respond.

"I'm very sorry. Mara, can we talk about this?"

Still nothing.

This time, Luke tried another, more physical approach. He pushed himself forward and sat next to Mara on the cot she had taken. "We can't let this ruin our friendship."

"Do we even have a friendship, Skywalker?" She asked coldly, shocking him for the question's content and for its tone.

"Of course! I've always considered you my friend." He stated vehemently but then it occurred to him that maybe she didn't think of him the same way and his heart broke again. He didn't want to live in a galaxy where Mara wasn't his friend.

Still lying down, she faced him and he saw the glow of unshed tears in her eyes. For the third time a just a few minutes his heart broke. "If you're my friend, how can you think such a thing of me? Dark side heads, Skywalker?"

"I'm sorry! They were in your closet, so I assumed... In truth, you were my only lead to figure it out."

"Anyone could have put them there." She pointed out, getting up and into a sitting position. "Anyone! They could just as easily have been left there by Callista."

"They're not Callista's."

"Why not?" Now she was obviously out to confront him.

"Why would Callie have something like that?" Luke responded even though he could see Mara having a point.

"Why would I?" She countered stating that point.

"Okay. I said I was sorry." Luke really didn't want to be dragged to a fight to prove Mara's point. He already knew she was right and he never really believed the heads were hers to begin with. It was easier to concede than to defend his reasons to inquire. Besides, he really didn't want to argue about Callista with Mara. "I'll admit that I didn't think it through."

"You'll have to do better than that." Mara stated, lying back down.

"Okay," Luke resumed, thinking his words through. Suddenly, he realized there was another reason he had wanted to confront Mara about the heads. It was why he wanted to see her in person and not over the comm. For a second, he wondered if he would have the guts to tell her about it.

_'Kriff it!'_

"You're right. But... I had another reason to comm you, besides asking about the heads. They were just a good excuse."

Mara didn't comment, but she did turn her attention to him.

"I wanted to see you again," Luke continued, "I wanted to talk to you and apologize for Chandrilla."

"You have a strange way of apologizing."

"I knew it was risky and I knew you would most likely get angry with me - and you did - but I also knew that I'd rather see you angry than not see you at all.

Luke's statement left Mara speechless. Suddenly, she wasn't mad anymore, at least not furious like before. She wasn't sure _what_ she was.

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~.*.~

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Outside in the hallway, the Solo children snoozed, leaning against each other and the door. Next to them the ysalamir lizard blinked in the darkness and from the other side of the corridor, a low twitter broke the silence, accompanied by the sound of footsteps.

"What is going on here?" Tionne's voice rang across the distance. That was when the Solo twins knew they were in trouble.

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TBC...


	5. Part V

**~ Part V ~**

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A blanket of silence lingered around the pilots' billets for a good ten minutes and Luke had no idea how to break it. He didn't even know if he should. Mara hadn't responded at all to his remark about wanting to see her and he didn't know if that was a good thing or a bad thing. If, in one hand, she had not smacked him or worse, on the other hand, this silence was so unlike her, it was disturbing. What if she simply didn't want to talk to him anymore? What would he do then?

On her side of the billet, Mara's thoughts ran in a similar direction. Skywalker's statement confounded her. What did he mean, he wanted to see her? Why not just comm her to say _'hi'_? Why did he have to approach her in such a convoluted way? From what he had just said, Mara could very well assume he was interested in her, but she had made that assumption before and had been wrong, so... Why couldn't he just make his feelings clear, state them clearly and beyond the shadow of a doubt? Why couldn't he just speak Basic, for Force's sake?

They were both wondering whether or not to break the silence when the locked door swooshed open, causing them to jump up from their cots in synchrony. Standing outside were Luke's Jedi aid, his astromech and both his niece and nephew, and they all looked like something was up.

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~.*.~

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It only took about three minutes for Tionne to explain to Luke and Mara that she come down in search of them in order to find out if Mara knew anything about the heads and that she had found first Artoo and then the twins guarding the hallway. It was immediately obvious to all that they had locked their uncle and his friend in the pilots' billets. The big question now was why.

"We were doing the right thing!" Little Jacen insisted when Luke questioned them about their actions. They had all gone back to Luke's quarters and he was insisting on getting some answers before sending the children to bed.

"The right thing? Why don't you explain that." Luke bid the boy through his Jedi calmness.

Both twins looked at each other and then to the other people in the room. Their uncle stood in front of them, with his arms crossed in front of his chest and a stern but serene look on his face. To Luke's right stood Tionne, with her hands entwined before her. She waited patiently and firmly the kids response. To Luke's left was Mara Jade. She was leaning against the kitchen's counter and taking sips from some drink the twins couldn't identify. She apparently had decided not to leave right away, but instead to stay and see this whole thing through, and it was something that had pleased Luke greatly and probably why he wasn't telling them off at that moment.

"You and Mara need to kiss and make up." Jaina told them, holding her little nose up and making the redheaded woman standing on Luke's left snort out her drink. Luke's reaction would have been the same if he had been drinking anything but since he wasn't, he just turned a shade of red. The shade turned a few degrees brighter when he noticed Tionne trying to cover up her amused grin.

"And what do you mean by that, Jaina?" The Jedi Historian asked the child.

"They are mad at each other. They need to kiss and make up like mom and dad did before they got married." The little girl explained, gesturing to make her point.

"Okaaayyy..." Luke could see this was going to be a very tricky conversation, especially considering he had no idea how to explain the intricacies of male/female relationships to five year-olds. He looked around to the women in the room hoping for some support but found none. Tionne had actually taken a step back in order to give him space, but not so much space as to give him privacy; she was obviously interested in seeing how the argument developed, but didn't want to be part of it. As for Mara - the other directly implicated party in the children's scheme - she stood motionless against the counter, her drink forgotten in her hand, and a look of what Luke could describe as mixed bewilderment, interest and slight amusement. Luke would be dammed if he knew what that look meant. Finding himself unsupported, he carried on: "Honey, things don't work that way with grown-ups."

"But weren't mom and dad all grown up when they were locked in the _Falcon_?" Perceiving that her uncle was having trouble placing the situation she was talking about, Jaina added: "You know, when they went to see Uncle Lando on Cloud City."

"Oh! Yes. How do you know about that?"

"Threepio, Dad and Uncle Lando told us." Jacen stepped up.

"Okay. Yes, they were adults when that happened, but this is not the same."

"See," Jaina turned to her brother, "I told you we should have locked them in the _Falcon_."

"The _Falcon _is not here, Jaya. We worked with what we had." Her brother replied.

"Kids, the problem isn't the _Falcon_..." Luke tried to cut in.

"Yeah." Jaina mused, interrupting her Uncle. "It wasn't long enough. Maybe if you and Mara returned to the billets, we could lock you up again and you could have more time."

"That's not gonna happen." Mara contributed from the back. "But tell me something, kids - your plan was to lock us in the billets? Specifically in the billets?"

"Uh-hum," the children nodded and Mara continued. "And you had a plan to get us _in _there?"

Now the children didn't answer, but they didn't have to.

"Kids," the former Imperial bid, "did you two plant the heads in there to get your Uncle to comm me?"

"What?!" Luke jumped in "Where would the kids get those heads?"

Mara just stared at him and he looked back at the children's guilty little faces.

From behind Luke, Tionne lend a hand. "Children, did you two set this _whole_ thing up?"

Again, the kids' faces answered for them. Now it was clear to all.

Luke couldn't believe it. His niece and nephew had conjured up those creepy heads and had tried to set him up with Mara using them. This was a hell of a twist. "Where did you get the heads?"

This time the kids answered: "We found them in Dad's hangar."

That was the last answer any of the adults expected to hear.

.

TBC...


	6. Part VI

**~ Part VI ~**

.

Shortly after the twins' disclosure, Luke finally allowed them to go to bed. There was nothing more that could be done at that moment and everybody was tired. Besides, he was content that Mara would be staying the night but he suspected it was because she wanted to see him confront his brother-in-law and that would only happen in the next day. Still, it was progress and it made his heart beat a little faster.

Another event that made his heart beat faster happened when he was tucking the children in for the night. Little Jaina turned to him with sleepy eyes and said: "We're sorry Uncle Luke. We didn't mean to be trouble."

"It's okay, Jaina." He assured her.

"We just wanted you to be happy."

"And you thought making up with Mara would make me happy?" He gave her a gentle smile, thinking that making up with Mara would indeed make him happy.

"I thought you marrying Mara would make you happy."

"Why do you say that, darling?" Luke asked, trying to still the beating in his chest.

From the other bed, Jacen answered: "It's because you two fit like Mom and Dad. We see it in the Force."

After that revelation, Luke kissed both kids good night and went to his own bed. Could it be true? Could the children see that clearly what adults couldn't even imagine?

That night, It took Luke a long time to fall asleep, but when he finally did, he dreamed of him and Mara and it all felt so right.

.

~.*.~

.

The next day Mara woke up early. She had had a restless night with thoughts flying through her had about her and Luke making up and... kissing, and how he had held her hand just before she turned in and apologized to her once more. She could tell he meant it and she knew she would forgive him, she probably already had. It seemed Skywalker held the key to her heart and she could never deny him.

But that didn't mean she couldn't make him sweat for it. Now she would watch him sweat by confronting Solo for what they both knew had to be a huge misunderstanding.

As it turned out, it still took a few hours to place the comm call to Taris, where Han and Leia had gone on a political assignment, but when it happened Mara was on standby to overhear the entire conversation.

Bottom line, the chat was short. Solo had rented the hangar a little over a year ago and had no idea who the previous occupants had been. They could very well be Nightsisters from Dathomir. The point was, he didn't know anything about any Voodoo heads and he hadn't been happy about the implications. Furthermore, Han assured Luke that the first thing he'd do upon arriving on Coruscant would be, in his own words, _to sweep the whole hangar for anything hokey and burn it_. Then he hung up without giving Luke a chance to say anything else.

"Well, that went well." Mara commented after the fact.

"It went better than with you." Luke pointed out and then realizing he was treading on dangerous grounds, he quickly added. "I learned from my experience with you."

"That you did," she said and almost padded him on the back.

"So what now?"

"I guess I'll be going," Mara told him and made to do so.

"Can't you stay a little longer?" He held her arm gently. "We still have so much to talk."

"Do you wanna lock us up somewhere?" Mara asked in a teasing tone and he could tell she was no longer mad.

"And throw away the key." Luke responded only half joking.

"Maybe I can stay a little longer, but if you pull anything, Skywalker... If you cross that line, I swear..."

"I'll be good, Mara. I promise."

As he said that pledge, she saw the truth of it. Luke would tear out his own heart before hurting her again.

.

~.*.~

.

_One year later..._

.

Luke woke up slowly from another well slept night. He reached out to hold the woman that was supposed to be lying beside him but found the space empty. Still, he knew she wasn't far. He could feel her close by. Luke opened his eyes towards her pillow and...

Jumped straight out of bed landing hard on the wooden floor. On Mara's pillow was something he never thought he's see again - a shrunken and ugly Voodoo head, only this one looked disturbingly like him.

"HAHAHAHAAAAHHHAAA!" Came the sounds of laughter from the refresher door behind him.

"That's not funny, Mara!" He complained as he turned to eye the woman almost doubling up with laughter.

"No! It's priceless. You should have seen your face." She said, helping him up and still laughing.

"What the hell?! Where did you get that thing?"

"I made it, of course." Then noticing his astounded look, she added. "From clay, Farmboy. Not the Dark Side.

"Still not funny." Luke replied, now picking up the head and noticing it was still moist.

"Well, I found it very suitable, especially today."

"What's today?" He asked, searching his memory and finding the answer and then throwing the head on the head table and reaching for the woman instead. "Oh, yes, it's today."

"That's right." Mara nodded and closed the distance between them.

"It's one year today that I got you to stay." Luke now held her close.

"That you did." Mara smiled and accepted his kiss.

"And now, one year later, I vow to never let you go."

"And how will you do that?"

"Marry me, Mara?" He finally asked her, his voice stead and firm despite the emotion. He knew her answer even before she gave it, but she gave it anyway.

"Yes."

.

~END ~

.

.

_P.S._ – No, they never found out to whom the heads belonged to.


End file.
